THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD & DRINK TO THE TOURISM SECTOR
David Whiteford, Chairman
North Highland Initiative
Agenda• An Introduction to The North Highland Initiative
- North Highland Products (NHP)
- North Highland Tourism (NHT)
- North Highland Connections/ Built Environment (NHC)
• The importance of Food & Drink to tourism
• What is North Highland Products doing in the market
• What value does North Highland Products add to tourism
• What is the potential for future development
The North Highland Initiative• In 2005 HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay launched the North
Highland Initiative.
• Initiative aims to promote the economic development of the North Highlands of Scotland.
• Covers Caithness, Sutherland and Ross-shire.
• 3 elements to the initiative – food & drink, tourism and the built environment/ North Highland Connections.
• North Highland Products Ltd - food and drink.
• North Highland Tourism - hotels, restaurants & tourism attractions.
• North Highland Connections/ Built Environment - education & personal development and historic buildings.
Mey Selections• North Highland Products trades under the brand name Mey Selections.
• The aim is to foster closer connections between farmers, fine food producers and consumers.
• The company was formed by Caithness Farmers in August 2005.
• ALL ingredients for Mey Selections products are sourced, wherever possible, from within a 100 mile radius of the Castle of Mey.
• The Mey Selections logo features a watercolour painting of the Castle of Mey donated by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay.
Mey Selections – The Products• Mey Selections represents over 500 farmers, a dozen fine food producers
and a couple of fishing boats.
• Provides Quality producers with a brand identity. Primary Producers QMS assured. Processors, SALSA/BRC. Fishing Boats MSC/RFS
• Offers producers an opportunity to access markets outside of the North Highlands – local and national markets.
• Pays farmers a price premium – Fair Price Guaranteed.
• Current product range includes:- Beef & Lamb - Shellfish & Seafood - Honeys - Whisky
- Shortbread, Biscuits and Oatcakes - Conserves & Chutneys - Cheeses
North Highland Tourism• Destination Marketing Organisation.
• Represents hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions in the Highlands.
• Subscription membership organisation.
• Over 150 fully committed members.
• Growing the value of tourism in the region..
• Implement targeted marketing and destination development.
• Lead the tourism industry in the Highlands towards sustainable success.
• Compliment existing tourism groups and work with associated agencies.
• Raise awareness of the North Highlands as a year round destination.
• Establish the North Highlands as a ‘must visit’ destination.
• Drive growth in visitor numbers and tourism revenue.
Built Environment/ Connections• North Highland Connections was launched in 2008.
• Promoting an integrated and diverse cultural programme.
• Enhance the quality of life and tourism in the Highlands.
• Strives to provide a broad range of educational and personal development opportunities.
• Formal partnerships with the leading music, arts and educational organisations. (Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama; Edinburgh College of Art; Oran Mor Theatre Company, Glasgow; The Prince’s Drawing School and North Highland College)
• Delivers a rolling programme of quality cultural events.
Built Environment/ Connections• Since launch, 44 cultural educational and visual arts events have taken
place in 25 different venues across the North Highlands.
• Regenerate a number of key buildings as cultural hubs.
• Create new and sustainable employment opportunities.
• Enrich people’s lives through active participation.
The Importance of Food & Drink• All visitors need to eat and drink.
• Scotland has a reputation for providing some of the best food & drink in the world.
• Good quality, regional, food & drink can be used as a positive ‘marketing tool’ for an area.
• People travel, and pay, for a positive dining experience.
• Establishments offering quality, local food, can become destinations in their own right – Albert Roux at Rocpool R
• Good quality food, cooked right, can demand a higher price.
• Visitors want to eat food that has been sourced locally – part of the ‘experience’.
The Importance of Food & Drink• Offering quality food can raise the standard of an establishment.
• Good quality food differentiates one outlet from another.
• Good quality food & drink = repeat visitors/ customers.
• Visitors will tell their friends, relatives and colleagues about a good dining experience – increased visitors/ revenue.
• Establishments offering quality, local food, are more popular than those that don’t.
• People ‘care’ about where there food is from.
Danny Miller, Chairman of NHP
What is NHP doing?North Highlands – Consumer & Foodservice
• Dedicated Mey Selections Butcher in Wick.
• Butchers Shop and service to local hotels and restaurants.
• Free delivery across the Highlands.
• Supplying c. 35 hotels with beef & lamb.
• Hotels & restaurants are promoting Mey Selections on menus.
• Actively ‘selling’ Mey Selections in local publications/ media.
• Encouraging hotels and restaurants to source locally.
• Mey Selections customers are awarded with a Licence Certificate – quality endorsement.
• Hotels/ restaurants are promoted online – ‘reference tool’ for establishments serving quality food and drink
Inverness Airport – ExampleINVERNESS AIRPORT – GATEWAY TO THE HIGHLANDS
• Inverness Airport is a Mey Selections customer.
• Committed to sourcing the very best ingredients from the Highlands.
• Core menu items are supplied by Mey Selections.
Promotional Panel
Menu
Retail Display Unit
What is NHP doing?National Basis – Foodservice
• Working with dedicated Catering Butchers.
• Supplying prestigious hotels and restaurants – The Royal Automobile Club, The Goring, The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Admirable Crichton and Crowne Plaza Hotels. Locality marketing through food products
• Hosted a visit to Caithness for 10 top end London Chefs.
• Won Contract to supply Ember Inn with Mey Selections Gourmet Burgers c. 200 outlets across the UK.
• Establishing a brand with nationwide recognition.
• Promoting Caithness, Sutherland and Ross-shire to a wider audience.
• Increasing awareness of the North Highlands.
• People are associating the North Highlands with quality food and drink.
What is NHP doing?National Retailer – Sainsbury’s
• Exclusive Partnership with Sainsbury’s to supply beef and lamb.
• Beef and lamb available on c. 70 in-store Butchery Counters.
• Signature ingredient in TTD Ready Meals and ITC Meals.
• Meals available in c. 600 stores across the UK.
• Approx. 17 million customers purchase a Ready Meal, per year.
• NHP worked with NHT and Visit Scotland to run an ‘on pack’ promotion.
• Competition to win a series of breaks in the Highlands – 4 hotels.
• Eight sided ‘fix a form’ featuring map of the Highlands, Hotels and Castle of Mey.
• Full page advert in Sainsbury’s Magazine.
What Value Does NHP Add?• Offers hotels/ restaurants the chance to source the very best local
ingredients – support local farmers and producers.
• Sustainable development of the region – support local economy.
• Returned c. £600,000 in premiums to farmers.
• Delivers consistent quality ingredients with full traceability.
• Brand with integrity and national awareness.
• Actively markets the region to the local, national and international market – increased awareness.
• Generates increased footfall to the area.
• Offers a ‘story’ with provenance, traceability and quality – premium can be charged generating additional revenue. Authenticated through Certificate
What Value Does NHP Add?• Quality benchmark for chefs/ visitors.
• Positive dining experience.
• Encourages higher food standards in restaurants.
• Generates additional business for the Highlands – visitors and tourists.
• ‘Free’ marketing and PR for hotels & restaurants – website, local and national media.
• The opportunity to reach wider audiences through work with national operators – Sainsbury’s, Ember Inns and hotel chains.
Potential For Future DevelopmentAspirations
• Highlands to become a destination for quality food and drink.
• Hotels and restaurants across the region sourcing locally.
• Food & drink producers becoming ‘visitor attractions’ in their own right.
• Establishments promoting Mey Selections on the menu to show their commitment to local, quality ingredients.
• Hotels and restaurants highlighting where food is from.
• A dedicated Mey Selections outlet – see product being made and make a purchase.
• Introduce and educate the next generation – North Highland College.
• Initiatives working together to maximise benefits – all NHT members sourcing ingredients from NHP.
Potential For Future DevelopmentOpportunities• Include food and drink provision in any new developments – café, bistro,
restaurant.
• Develop tourism packages around food and drink – Food of Love Weekend, Ackergill Tower. (Well Known Chef cooking gourmet meals using local ingredients – annual event)
• Utilise the local environment to entice tourists – catch your fish and cook it.
• Host Local Produce Markets and Farmer Markets in the Highlands.
• Represent Highland produce at Food Markets across the UK.
• Offer ‘Rural Learning Packages’ – baking, fishing and farming. Burghfield Hotel
• Develop redundant buildings into ‘foodie destinations’.
• Tourism and Food & Drink businesses to work together to maximise the benefits available.
• Cross-sell by utilising technology and resources available.
Potential For Future DevelopmentBarriers
• Remote location.
• Limited transportation links and infrastructure – rail network and flights.
• Climate - other destinations offer guaranteed weather conditions.
• Delivery logistics for transporting food and drink can be challenging.
• Hotels and restaurants are price sensitive – quality comes at a price!
• Need to understand the ‘value’ of marketing and investing in resources.
• Tourism trade is seasonal – restricted timeframe.
Potential For Future Development Suggested Actions
• Tourism and food & drink industry must join forces and work together.
• Strive to achieve common goals – maximise the opportunity.
• Highlight food and drink as part of the tourism/visitor attraction.
• Encourage public employees to use outlets that menu local Food
• Include food & drink on the agenda for future events/festivals
• Support and work with local and national initiatives/ organisations.
• Focus on the market and opportunities outside of the Highlands.
• Food Tourism “lead” Body
END
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